Marathon for a dime
by SharanMcQuack
Summary: based loosed on "The 10 cent marathon" from US # 270. Donald is entered in a contest for charity and Magica is chasing him for what they THINK is the Lucky Dime. Of course Launchpad's in the story1


Marathon for a Dime

By Sharan McQuack, Launchpad's wife.

OK, WHY, exactly did I buy Ducktales # 1? Took to long to get to the chase, and it's too thin and too expensive a comic for that. Launchpad was in it (not for very long and didn't do too much). They didn't treat him like a TOTAL moron? Webby the annoying was made out to be a heroine instead of a stupid little pest. UT WASN"T in it (even if they made sure to mention him).

MY BAD! I should have reread the story before I said anything! I own a Whitman reprint copy of "The Golden Fleecing" (bought it at a flea market for 50 cents). Mr. McDee did TOO eat parsnip pudding to gain the right to face the dragon. I just found it dull as dishwater without Launchpad. Maybe I'll re-rewrite that story. Then again, who knows WHAT I'll do.

Based loosely on "The 10 cent Marathon"* from US # 270. (* They used the cent symbol, but there isn't one on this computer keyboard.)

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><p>It was the day of the Duckburg's annual "Olympics" for charity, Duckburg vs. other rival nearby cities. Donald Duck was running the marathon for Duckburg. Launchpad and I were putting on an air show during the intermission. So naturally, Mr. McDuck and his nephews were there. Donald had begged Mr. McDuck to bring his Lucky Dime with him.<p>

"I'll need all the luck I can get." Donald said.

Finally, Mr. McDuck agreed, or so he told DONALD. Launchpad found out otherwise by asking.

"You're taking the Dime out of the Bin? You sure that's a good idea? We haven't seen tail or feathers of Magica lately. She's overdue for another attempt to steal your Dime." Launchpad objected.

'DON'T BE SILLY, LAUNCHPAD! THE DIME IS SAFER WITH ME, WHERE I CAN KEEP AN EYE ON IT!" " Mr. McDuck yelled.

"It's an ordinary dime, Launchpad. Old #1 is staying safe in the Bin. But I got tired of arguing with Donald, so I'm taking a normal dime to make him happy. He'll never know the difference. I'm not wasting the Dime's luck on a race for charity! Not when the prize is a worthless fake "gold" medal!" Mr. McDuck whispered.

"OK, if you say so, Mr. McDee. It's your Dime." Launchpad replied, relieved the Dime was safe in the Bin.

Donald was standing nearby, so Launchpad knew Mr. McDee didn't want Donald to hear this exchange. Or at least not the part Mr. McDuck had whispered. MAGICA was nearby, too. Eavesdropping. And she heard what Mr. McDee shouted, but not the whisper. Magica thought Mr. McDuck was bringing his Dime to the Duckburg Olympics.

Soon, we were at the stadium, watching the proceedings.

"Too bad I couldn't enter this year." Launchpad muttered.

"You know the rules: " all contestants must live in Duckburg for 12 months", you lived in Saint Canard for a little while last summer..." I said.

"Eleven months ago!" muttered Launchpad.

"Rules are the rules. What can you do? Donald's been back from the Navy for longer than a year now, so HE can compete." I said. "St. Canard's one of the cities competing against Duckburg. Would you WANT to compete against them?"

"You bet!" Launchpad replied.

Donald came over to where Mr. McDuck sitting shortly before "Donald's" marathon race began.

"Let me rub the Dime for Luck." he requested.

So Mr. McDee handed Donald an old, battered ordinary dime. Donald couldn't tell the difference. Donald's not a numismatist. Magica ran up and TRIED to grab what she THOUGHT was Old Number One as Mr. McDuck passed it to Donald, but she was a split second too late. Donald had already grabbed it.

"Donald, its NOT..." began Launchpad, not wishing Donald to risk his life for a garden-variety dime.

But Magica threw a foof bomb at Donald. Donald saw Magica throw something at him, and dodged. Magica tried to re-aim, but in her haste missed Donald and hit US. We were "foofed", frozen like statues, unable to think or move until the foof bomb wore off.

But Donald was NOT foofed. and Donald held what BOTH he and Magica THOUGHT was the Lucky Dime. Magica chased Donald and Donald ran, blindly. Donald ran right across the starting line for "his" race just as the starting gun went off. The rest of the contestants quickly followed him. Magica had been running after him until she saw all of them between her and the dime.

"Why run? Broom! Come!" Magica asked, and summoned her magical flying broom.

"Fly as fast as you can and don't stop for anything! Follow Donald!" she commanded the broom, as she hopped onto it.

The broom took off and flew after Donald, Magica riding it.

Shortly after this, the foof bomb started wearing off. Launchpad had been furthest from the bomb. Also, it's a gas bomb that wafts up slowly and tends to sink back 's heavier than air...being tall helps it wear off a little sooner. (Unlike smoke.)

Launchpad woke up first, and shook us, trying to wake us up. Nothing happened. Launchpad was worried we were really hurt. Especially me.

"I'll make like the Prince in "Sleeping Beauty"!" Launchpad said.

And he kissed me. Naturally, I woke up and kissed him right back. By the time I was done, the others had woke up.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Magica threw a foof bomb at us. It froze us in place, unable to think and move." Launchpad explained.

Launchpad knew I don't know very much about Magica, due to lack of experience with her.

"Look! There's Unca Donald running in his race! And Magica is on her broom, chasing him!" Huey said.

"Ack! I gave Donald a fake dime- an ordinary old battered dime- and told him it was the Lucky Dime." Mr. McDuck said. " Now BOTH Donald and Magica think it's the Lucky Dime! Magica is chasing Donald trying to get the Lucky Dime! And Donald doesn't even have it!"

"There's no point in trying to tell Magica that. she won't believe you." Louie said.

"She'll think you're trying to trick her AGAIN." Dewey said.

"We gotta do something! Magica is trying to zap Donald, trying to steal the dime! Magica is likely to hurt, maybe even kill Donald- or one of the other racers! They're running very near Donald!" Launchpad said. "Sharan, we're supposed to put on an air show during the intermission. How about us giving them a sneak preview?'"

"That way everybody will think Magica and her zaps are just part of the show! Nobody will panic or get hurt panicking!" I replied, catching on.

So we ran to where we had "parked" our biplanes and got in them and took off, following Donald and Magica.

Soon, we were flying in front of Magica, "dancing" around her so she couldn't zap Donald or the racers...just US. Fortunately, she didn't want to waste her zaps on us, we didn't have the Dime. Neither did Donald, but neither Magica nor Donald knew that.

"Do you think we should tell Donald it's not the real Dime? He could drop the hot potato and run for it?" I asked.

"Once Magica gets a good look at that dime, she'll realize it's an ordinary dime. And she'll be FURIOUS. She's likely to take her mad out at Donald, the racers, the audience...US!" Launchpad replied. "We gotta chase her until she's tired of it and gives up in disgust."

So we keep flying interference, getting between Magica and Donald. We keep distracting her, confusing her. We buzzed her and flew away before she could zap us. Her broom was much smaller and more maneuverable than our planes. Plus, it was magic. It flew like a bird, not a machine.

Donald just kept running. Donald couldn't stop without giving Magica the opportunity to "get" him. IF Donald ever considered just dropping the stinking Lucky Dime, the thought of what Mr. McDuck would DO to him afterwards stopped him from doing so.

MEANWHILE, Mr. McDuck and the Trins ran into the Management Office, where Mr. McDee talked to people in charge and changed a twenty for $20.00 worth of old battered dimes. Soon, Mr. McDee and the Triplets were pelting Magica with battered old dimes. The Trins used slingshots and Mr. McDuck played tiddlywinks, popping dimes at Magica.

"You want dimes, Magica! Here, have some! Have some more!" they taunted.

This gave Launchpad an idea. In the cargo bay of both of our planes was silver- metallic round pieces of confetti that looked like dimes. We were supposed to sprinkle the stuff in our grand finale, but what the hey. Launchpad dropped ALL the confetti at once, seeing this, I did likewise.

Zillions of pieces of dime- like confetti fell on Magica. Then the wind picked up and started blowing the bits all over the place. This gave ME an idea. I dived my plane down towards Magica and used the propeller to blow the confetti in Magica's face. Launchpad laughed delightedly when he saw this.

"That's my Sharan, doing that!" Launchpad said proudly.

Then he copied my idea and blew more confetti in Magica's face. I'm afraid I can't tell you what Magica said about all this without losing my "K" rating on this story. Then, a few people in the audience, thinking this was all an act and wanting to get into the act, started pelting Magica with dimes. More and more joined in.

Magica cursed. Fortunately only with bad words. This was getting embarrassing. Then, the stadium's clean-up crew swept up the dimes into a pile. Donald first grabbed a few dimes and chucked them at Magica.

Then Donald had an idea. On the sly, Donald took what he thought was THE Dime and put it in his shirt pocket, snapping the snap to keep it secure. Then he pretended to hide "the Dime" (just a piece of silver confetti) in a huge pile of dimes. Magica jumped off her broom and started digging thru the pile, trying to find The Dime. Which was difficult, seeing how it was NOT there to find.

Donald, exhausted, tried to quit. BUT...Magica's broom was STILL chasing him. Magica had commanded it to go as far as it could, to stop for nothing and follow Donald. Magica's broom obeyed and was STILL obeying as Magica had NOT countermanded her orders.

Donald, fleeing the crazy magic broom, crossed the finish line first. All the other contestants ran out to congratulate him. And they trampled right OVER Magica. (1) THAT was the last straw as far as Magica was concerned.

"All I did was make Donald out to be a hero! I've had enough! I'm going home!" Magica said.

THEN she saw her broom had been trampled, too. Smashed to pieces. That was only reason it was no longer following Donald. Then she spotted a normal broom left behide by one of the clean up crew. Magica grabbed it, Magica enchanted it, and so it became a magic enchanted broom. Magica jumped onto it and flew off .

The audience, thinking it was all an act, applauded loudly and long. Mr. McDuck ran out and picked up the dimes. The audience laughed and applauded again, STILL thinking this was part of the show.

Then Donald took what he still thought was The Dime out of his shirt pocket. And Donald gave it to Mr. McDuck.

"Thank you, nephew, for the safe return of my Dime. And for so bravely protecting it." Mr. McDuck said. (2)

The End.

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><p>(1) THAT was in Disney's version and that part I LIKED. Naughty girl, aren't I?<p>

(2) Would YOU tell Donald he'd gone thur all that for a normal dime?


End file.
